5Questions About the Boeing Black

Boeing filed plans this week with the Federal Communications Commission for a high-security smartphone dubbed Boeing Black. The phone is based on a modified version of Google’s Android operating system, and looks like an older, chunkier iPhone. As demand for secure communications grows, and a number of companies not traditionally known for making smartphones jump into the space, some questions remain about Boeing’s plans and the still-forming “secure phone” industry. By Will Connors and Jon Ostrower

27 Feb 2014 3:17pm

1Can it be secure using Android?

Android is notoriously easy to hack, but Boeing contends that because it is building the Black phone from scratch – and not layering on secure software after it’s been built – the phone will be impervious to attacks. And just in case some enterprising hackers out there want to take on the challenge, Boeing is keeping most of the technical details of the phone secret, including what kind of screws it uses. Boeing’s phone is designed to effectively self-destruct if it is tampered with. Google didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Tough Enough?

2How many companies are making 'secure' phones?

A small handful but the number is growing. Last month, a joint venture between two software firms launched the $629 Blackphone, which it touts as a highly secure device that doesn’t run on any traditional telecom carriers or operating systems. Defense contractor General Dynamics makes a keyboard-equipped, BlackBerry-like secure phone called the Sectera Edge that is certified by the National Security Agency. Motorola Solutions makes a secure phone running on Android called the AME 2000. Motorola says its phone is already being used by federal agencies.

The Blackphone

3Where is BlackBerry in this mix?

BlackBerry would argue that they’ve been there all along. President Obama still uses a BlackBerry, after all (with special encryption software), as do most Defense Department staffers. But as BlackBerry lost its once-dominant market share in the overall smartphone space, and its balance sheet took knock after knock, other companies saw an opening. Some federal agencies already have switched over to iPhones or Android phones. Now, with a new CEO in place, BlackBerry is working to win back Washington-based customers. Later this year it plans to open a technology center there to remind officials that it never left.

Old Friend

AFP/Getty

4What do we know about price, partners and specs?

Boeing isn’t saying what the Black will cost, but the competing Blackphone’s $629 price tag could be a guide. Boeing also won’t say who its technology partners are, though it says it developed the phone in part through a series of acquisitions of companies such as Argon ST, Digital Receiver Technology and RavenWing.

The 5.2-inch tall Black, which will be assembled in the U.S., is about 50% heavier than an iPhone 5S and about twice as thick. Its 4.3-inch screen features a resolution of 540 x 960 pixels—well shy of the high-definition displays that have become standard on high-end smartphones. Samsung’s new Galaxy S5, for example, features a 5.1-inch screen with 1920 x 1080 pixels. Black uses dual 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processors with dual SIM cards for LTE, WCDMA and GSM networks, Bluetooth and internal slots for microSD card memory expansion. Boeing’s marketing shows a forward-facing camera, but the company hasn’t offered more information about the phone’s eyes.

What We Do Know

Boeing has provided few details about its planned secure phone. Here are some:

Display: 4.3 inch (540x960pixels)

Weight: 170 grams

Networks: LTE, WCDMA, GSM

Chip: 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex-A9

5The essential question: does it have a physical keyboard?

BlackBerry users who can’t live without a physical keyboard to pound their thumbs on will have to look elsewhere for an alternative. Boeing Black, like the majority of modern smartphones, is all touchscreen. The brief marketing video hidden on Boeing’s website shows a familiar gray-on-black Android-style touchscreen keyboard.